Retractable bayonet



' Sept. 28, 1943. c.- D.-SPAGNOL.O 2,330,637

RETBACTIBLE BAYONET Filed July 13, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR.

COSIMO D. SPAGNOL O.

' ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 28, 1943 UNITE D STATES PATENT 9 PF! CE2,330,631 RETRACTABLE Biron-ii I Cosimo DI. Spagnolo, firool rlyi'i, :N.Y.

Application lruly 13, 1942, Serial a... 459,335

2 claims. (or.

This invention relates to bayonets and more particularly to acombination rifle and bayonet, wherein 'the bayonet is permanentlyattached to the rifle, and is adapted to be automatically ex tended intofixed position or retracted into inoperative position as may be desired.

It is the principal object of this invention'to provide a combinationrifle and bayonet and means provided in a stock of the rifle forautomatically extending the bayonet into extended or fixed position.

A further advantage of this invention resides in the provision oflocking'means for the bayonet, whereby it i securely and firmly lockedin extended position.

Still another aim of this invention is to'provide means associated withthe locking retainin means, whereby the bayonet is prevented frominadvertently becoming disengaged from its extended position, saidretaining means being manually operable to release the bayonet when itis desired to return it to inoperative position.

Yet another object of the present inventio'n're sides in the provisionof means on the underside of the fore-stock of a rifle for housing thebay O el) when in unflxed or inoperative position, the housing meansalso serving as protection 'of the sharp longitudinal edge of thebayonet.

And it is yet another purpose of this invention to provide a bayonetwhich i swingingly fulcrumed at its shank or rear end to the muzzle of arifle and a spring-controlled gear for extending the bayonet into fixedposition.

These and other meritorious objects and advantages, which will becomemore fully apparent as the description hereof proceeds, are achieved bythe novel construct-ion, combination, and arrangement of few and simpleparts, hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, forming a material component of this disclosure, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a combination rifle and automaticbayonet constructed in accordance with the present invention and showingthe bayonet in "fixed" position.

Figure 2 is a view of a portion of the stock or a rifle and the muzzle,showing the bayonet and operating mechanism drawn to an enlarged scale.

Figure 3 is a bottom view of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is another enlarged view, this being a side elevation of themuzzle and fore-stock of a rifle showing a portion of the bayonetextended and also showing the operating mechanism.

Figure '5 is 'a top view of a portion of Figure 4, with the "fore stockremoved.

Figure '6 is a center section through the rifle portion shown in Fi u e4'.

Figure 7 is 'a'sectional view, the section being taken on line 1-1 ofFigure 4.

Figure 8 is a sec-usual view, the section being taken on line 8-8 of Fiure 4.

Figure 9 is a sectional view, the section being taken on line 9-'-! ofFigure 4.

Figure 10 is a sectional view, the section being taken on line I'll- 40o1 Figure 4; and

Figure 11 is a. sectional view, the section taken on line H--| l ofFigure '5.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings, numeral l5 indicates ingeneral a rifle having a barrel or muz'zlelfi, a fore-stock|1,rear'orshoulder part. f8, trigger i9 and bullet magazine 2i. Noneoithese elements form a part of this inventicn, hence none are here morefully described.

Near the "rifle sight there is provided a metal clamp .strap having atits under side a cover plate 26 which is permanently secured to theclamp strap 25. by screws 21 or other suitable means;

Bayonet 22 is fulcrumed at its rear or shank to the center of coverplate 26 by fulcrum shaft 30 .in such manner that the sharp edge orblade of the bayonet 22 will face downwardly when the bayonet isextended, as illustrated in Figure 1. Near its pointed tip, bayonet 22is provided with an opening 24 for a purpose which will presently bedescribed. At its center, fulcrum shaft 30 is provided with a squareportion 30a which acts as seat for bayonet 22. Within cover plate 26 isa gear 3| and gear rack 32. A plurality of links 33 are provided in thestock and a spring 34 is provided, one of its ends being secured to theoutermost of said links 33, the other end of the spring being attachedto a spring securing hook 35 by means of screw 36 or in any otherdesirable manner. To securely retain the bayonet in extended position,there is provided a latch 31 engaging key portion 38 of the bayonet 22,and knob 39 permits manual retraction of latch 31.

The mechanism for retaining the bayonet in unfixed or inoperativeposition consists of the following: The stock of the rifle is providedwith a screw head 40 having a notch 4| to engage latch 42 which ismanually operated by finger knob 43. Latch 42 and knob 43 are part of aplate 44 which is retained in looking position by spring 45. All ofthese several elements are positioned behind plate 46 which is held inits place on the stock of a rifle by screws 41-48 or in any othersuitable being manner, as illustrated in Figure 4 of the dra ings. Screwhead 40 has a Pin 49 about which is wound spring 50. and is alsoprovided with collars 5| between which is engaged fork 52 whichconstitutes part of lever 53 fulcrumed as at 54 and having at its outerend a pin 55 which is adapted to engage opening 24 in bayonet 22 whenthe bayonet is in inoperative position. At 56 arm 53 is provided withsliding means adapted to slide in channel 51 of bracket 58 whichbracketalso carries fulcrum 54 previously referred to. At its underside, stock I! is provided with a groove Gil which may contain achannel-shaped metal lining GI. Lining 6| may be hinged as at 62. Ahinged clamping member 63 is provided to clamp muzzle [6 to stock H. Atits under side, clamping ring 63 has a channel portion 64 which clampschannel lining 6| as at 65.

Metal clamp strap 25, to which reference has been had previously, hasits lower ends bent inwardly as indicated at 10 thereby forming-threecompartments H, H and 13 respectively. Compartment H is adaptedtocontaingear 3 .I and gear rack 32, compartment (2 is adapted to contain seat300 and bayonet 22 which is secured thereto and compartment" is'adaptedto contain the spring controlled latch 31.,

In operation, when the-bayonet isin unfixed or inoperative position, thebayonet will rest in groove 60, the groove being of suil'icient depth torender the bayonet almost flush with the stock of the rifle. .Pin 55will have entered opening 24 in bayonet-22 and latch .42 will be engagedinnotch 4| of screw head 40. Y

When it is desired to swing the bayonet into operative orfixedhposition, latch: 42 is man'- ually withdrawn from notch 4| and theknob 43 turned. ,Withdrawing of the latch will cause pin 55 to becomedisengaged fromppening 24 in bayonet 22. Bayonet 22 is then manuallyswung into extended position, which will be facilitated by the action ofspring 34 which will pull against gear rack 32 causing bayonet 22; tobecome extended. When the bayonet is in an outstretched position, latch31 will be caused to engage key portion 38 of the bayonet, to hold thelatter securely in place. When the bayonet is to be retracted, thereverse of the procedure here described is used.

Thus it will be seen that there has been illustrated and described anautomatic bayonet in this invention as may come within the terms of theappended claims without thereby departing from the spirit of the presentinvention.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new and desiredto secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a rifle having a muzzle and a stock, a clampingring about said muzzle, a cover plate, means securing said cover plateto said clamping ring, a bayonet, means swingingly securing said bayonetto said cover plate, means terminating within said cover plate normallyurging said bayonet into extended position, locking means on said coverplate to releasably retain said bayonet in extended position, manualmeans to release said locking means to retract said bayonet, saidbayonet provided withan opening near the point thereof, and retainingmeans in the stock of said rifle entering said opening to lock saidbayonet in inoperative position.

2. In combination with a rifle having a muzzle and a stock, an arcuateclamping ring, said clamping ring-secured about said muzzle, saidclamping ring bent inwardly at the ends thereof forming threecompartments, a bayonet, a cover plate, means securing said cover plateto said clamping ring, means swingingly securing said bayonet to saidcover plate, a fulcrum shaft passing through said cover plate and saidcompartments, said shaft formed at its center with a substantiallysquare portion on which said bayonet seats, said square portionoccupying the second of said compartments, a gear, said gear occupyingthe first of said compartments, a spring pulled gear rackin engagementwith said gear, and means for retaining said bayonet in retractedposition and for releasing said bayonet-to be extended into fixed"position.

COSIMO D. SPAGNOLO

